My Romance Game Updated – Chapter 138
by Little PandaExtra
【Ding—Main Quest completed. Player is about to be force-logged out of the game. Please prepare. 10, 9, 8…】
In the middle of the night, while hovering half-asleep, Ren Chenxi suddenly heard a game notification chime. Still trapped in a daze between wakefulness and slumber, she groggily wondered if she was hallucinating, or if it was just a sound from her dreams.
Before she could clearly make out what the mechanical notification was saying, she heard another prompt: 【Countdown finished. System is automatically logging the player out of the game…】.
Then, Ren Chenxi suddenly realized something. A jolt ran through her, and she snapped awake. However, once she was fully conscious, she discovered she was lying in the small bed of her real-world bedroom.
The warm, cozy little bedroom she had dreamed of countless times during the apocalypse now only brought a bone-chilling cold. This change was simply because the person who had slept by her side every night in that apocalyptic world was no longer there.
She lay there alone for a long time. It took a while before she painfully accepted a truth she desperately wanted to deny—she had truly escaped that damn 《Apocalypse Survival Game》. But the price was that she had also lost the lover she deeply cherished in the game forever. What terrified her even more was the thought that the lover who had accompanied her for nearly ten years in that apocalyptic world was nothing more than a string of cold, emotionless code.
But was Mu Ning really just cold code? Now that she had left the game, would all of Mu Ning’s data be wiped since she was a game NPC?
Recalling every little detail of her ten years in the game with Mu Ning, all the sweetness and beauty they had shared, Ren Chenxi turned over in grief and buried her face in the pillow. As she quietly muffled her sobs, she painfully wished that the damn game would actually wipe its data now that she was gone. That way, Mu Ning, who was left behind in the game, would not have to suffer as she did.
After all, merely letting herself recall Mu Ning for a brief moment made her heart ache so much she could hardly breathe. In the days to come, would she not have to live every single second in these painful memories? It was better if she was the only one who had to bear this pain.
Ren Chenxi did not know when she cried herself back to sleep. When she woke up again from the boundless darkness, she was roused by a frantic pounding on her door. Accompanying the noisy knocking was Ren Muhui’s equally obnoxious, loud voice.
“Ren Chenxi! Ren Chenxi, are you back yet?! You aren’t still stuck in that crappy game, are you? Hey! Hey, hello?!”
Ren Chenxi’s head was already throbbing from Ren Muhui’s non-stop shouting, but the moment she heard him mention the “game,” she ignored her worsening headache and sat straight up in bed.
That was right—Ren Muhui had returned to the game even later than she had, so he should have left it later too! In that case, after she left the game, did everyone notice anything? What were their reactions to her sudden disappearance? And Mu Ning… Mu Ning…
That crazy woman who had once dared to fight an 8th-Order mutated octopus monster all by herself for her sake—surely she had not gone mad again after finding her gone?
Clutching her throbbing head, Ren Chenxi rushed eagerly to the door.
“Hey? Ren Chenxi? There’s no way you’re still in that game, right? But that shouldn’t be possible! That crappy game rolled back its data…”
Before Ren Muhui could finish, the tightly shut door slammed open with a loud bang. He was greeted by Ren Chenxi’s fierce face, her eyes still rimmed with red.
“What did you say?!”
“Huh? I… I said… What did I say?”
Perhaps Ren Chenxi’s expression was simply too terrifying. Even though they were back in the real world, Ren Muhui still subconsciously associated his supposedly delicate meimei with that incredibly powerful, mass-slaying—no, mass-monster-slaying—legendary 9th-Order esper from the game. He instinctively took a massive step backward.
“What did you say? What did you just say happened to that crappy game?” Ren Chenxi ignored his retreat. Right now, she only cared about what had happened to the game where Mu Ning was still trapped!
“The game? Oh! Right! The game rolled back! Wait, didn’t you exit the game and come back because of the rollback?”
“The game rolled back?” Last night, Ren Chenxi had only secretly wished for a server wipe, but she had not expected it to actually roll back. But if it rolled back… “What point in time did you return to?”
“Uh, well… I woke up and found that the game, which had updated into the apocalypse survival version, had gone back to the old school campus dating game. Before I could even figure out if I was dreaming, a semi-transparent selection box suddenly popped up in front of me, asking if I wanted to pursue the game’s female lead, Mu Ning. It scared the crap out of me, so I immediately clicked ‘No.’ Then I was suddenly kicked out of the game and woke up back in the real world.”
“So… that’s how it was?” Listening to Ren Muhui’s explanation, Ren Chenxi was dazed for a long moment. Then she let out a bitter laugh and shook her head, murmuring, “This… this is actually for the best.”
At least, with the game rolling back to before Ren Muhui ever tried to court Mu Ning, she would not have to deal with a pair of fraternal twins who spun her around in circles all over again…
While Ren Chenxi was silent, caught in a contradictory state of deep pain and relief for Mu Ning, Ren Muhui suddenly clutched his head and leaned weakly against the doorframe, wailing, “Ah! Why do I feel so dizzy? Is this the after-effect of coming back from a virtual gaming world?”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud rumble erupted from his stomach. It was so loud that even Ren Muhui felt a bit embarrassed. He spread his hands innocently at Ren Chenxi and said weakly, “I think I’m just too hungry. I’m so hungry my head is spinning.”
Ren Chenxi still did not understand the algorithm of how ten years in the game converted to real-world days. All she knew was that when she and Ren Muhui went to the kitchen to forage for food, she glanced at the clock and realized that at least thirty hours had passed in reality since she had re-entered the game that night. Having gone without food for over a full day, no wonder her head was pounding and she felt completely drained of energy.
Back in the real world, as the siblings hurriedly stuffed their faces, they both couldn’t help but sigh: why did it feel like they ate worse in this exceptionally peaceful era than they did in that apocalyptic game? Granted, they had chosen the quickest, easiest route of cooking instant noodles to fill their bellies immediately. But compared to the early days of the apocalypse when instant noodles were a luxury, Ren Chenxi’s standard of living during her final years in the game had actually grown progressively better. By the tenth year of the apocalypse she had lived through, the wilderness environment had gradually improved. Much of the soil and water had returned to safety for farming and drinking. The number of zombies was dwindling, and the survivors, backed by various high-tech weapons, had begun to overpower the mutated beasts.
Thus, by the later stages of the apocalypse, basic survival was no longer an issue. Powerful little teams like Ren Chenxi and Mu Ning’s feasted on delicacies every day, living in absolute comfort. Ren Chenxi firmly believed that if she had stayed in the apocalypse for a few more years, she might have witnessed that world transition back to a normal, peaceful era.
Looking at it this way, had the game rolled back precisely because the apocalyptic world had slowly returned to normal? And now, would the game’s plot force Mu Ning to experience the horror of doomsday all over again?
At these thoughts, Ren Chenxi didn’t even bother finishing her last few bites of noodles. She urged Ren Muhui to turn on his computer and try logging into the rolled-back dating game again. When Ren Muhui heard she wanted him to log in, he shook his head in terror, flatly refusing. That piece-of-shit game had traumatized him so badly that he was terrified that another log-in would drag him right back into it.
Ren Muhui refused to budge, even when Ren Chenxi told him he didn’t need to wear the gaming helmet and could just log in on the PC. Seeing how vehemently he resisted, Ren Chenxi had no choice but to carry her bowl and head into Ren Muhui’s bedroom herself. Filled with a strange mix of anticipation and excitement, she opened that crappy dating game she had cursed countless times. To her disappointment, however, she wasn’t forced back into the game this time. And what plunged her into true despair was that the screen of this stupid, piece-of-shit dating game displayed a notice: Server Closed!!!
Wasn’t this game a single-player game? How could the server close?
Ah, wait, no! She and Ren Muhui had been in the game at the same time, so it really was an online game. And now that its servers were closed, did that mean… she would never see Mu Ning again?
The thought of never seeing Mu Ning again—and not even having the chance to catch a simple glimpse of her in a rolled-back state—sent a wave of panic through Ren Chenxi. She scrambled to close the game window and began frantically searching for any news related to it. From the developer studio’s announcement, she learned that the game had suffered a major bug. As a result, it was undergoing an emergency fix with the servers closed, temporarily blocking all players from entering.
“Temporarily unable to enter”… did that mean once the game was fixed, she could go back in? But after the data was modified and repaired, would Mu Ning still be the same Mu Ning she had loved?
Ren Chenxi could not and dared not guess. The only thing she could do was yearn for Mu Ning while waiting anxiously for the temporarily closed servers to open once more.
Ren Chenxi waited for an entire week. When she finally opened the game’s official website again, she found that the 《Brain-Dead Dating Game》 she had mocked countless times had been fully overhauled into an apocalypse survival game! It didn’t even leave a transition phase for the school campus dating aspect! What was worse, although it remained a full-dive VR game, it had been transformed from a role-playing dating sim into a competitive first-person shooter! All the NPCs she had met in the dating game were cut from the roster, and most terrifyingly, “Mu Ning” was completely missing from the main NPC list!
Did the repair literally delete Mu Ning? Where had Mu Ning gone? Was she really never going to see her again?
Just as Ren Chenxi was sinking deeper into agony and despair, Ren Muhui suddenly approached her in a panic with a piece of news that he didn’t know was good or bad. To promote the newly overhauled competitive first-person shooter, the developers were hosting an offline promotional event. They had randomly selected a portion of players who had participated in the dating game to receive a Special Prize. The prize had to be claimed in person. Through the email address registered to his game account, Ren Muhui had discovered that he won the grand Special Prize!
What was this grand prize? The developers hadn’t stated it clearly. Although Ren Muhui was tempted, the psychological trauma of being mysteriously trapped in the game made him extremely reluctant to experience this apocalypse survival game offline. Who knew if the game would glitch again and trap him inside for another ten years? Back then, he had his meimei’s thick thigh1 to cling to. Without her, he didn’t even know how he would have survived!
“So what you’re saying is, since I logged into your game account back then and courted Mu Ning in your place, I have to use your game ID again to help you claim this Special Prize offline?” Ren Chenxi, who had been completely despondent over Mu Ning’s disappearance, felt a spark of hope. She turned to Ren Muhui and questioned him, “The real world isn’t a virtual game, and the company isn’t blind or deaf. How can you be sure I can smoothly claim your prize with your game ID?”
“Uh… You misunderstand! I don’t plan on having you impersonate me and use the name ‘Ren Muhui’ to claim the prize this time. I already asked them—if the winner is feeling unwell and can’t make it to the venue, a relative can claim the prize on their behalf. They said yes!”
“A relative can claim it?” Ren Chenxi raised an eyebrow at him. “But how come I didn’t receive any notification emails? Clearly, we were trapped in that game together!”
“Probably because you were playing on my account? You didn’t even have a registered email back then, did you?” Ren Muhui explained with some uncertainty.
Ren Chenxi found his explanation somewhat reasonable. From the start, she had used Ren Muhui’s account, and even after being pulled back into the game, she had merely modified his player information to hers. As for an email address, she indeed hadn’t left one for the developers.
“Alright then. What is your Special Prize?”
“They didn’t say… But I feel like it must be worth a lot of money. It’s probably in-game items or currency, right? They even said that if you aren’t satisfied, you can exchange it for an equivalent value! I definitely don’t want to play this crappy game anymore, so please help me exchange it for cash, little sis~”
“An equivalent exchange?” Ren Chenxi pondered for a couple of seconds, then looked up and readily agreed, “Fine. I’ll go to the venue and help you exchange your Special Prize.”
Securing Ren Chenxi’s agreement, Ren Muhui let out a sigh of relief while secretly growing excited. Seeing how generous this game studio was, hosting such a massive offline event, the prize certainly wouldn’t be cheap. He wondered just how much cash Ren Chenxi would be able to exchange it for.
Ren Chenxi was thinking along the same lines as Ren Muhui—the prize was likely highly valuable. However, unlike Ren Muhui, who wanted to cash out, she was wondering if she could negotiate with the staff to exchange the valuable prize for adding an NPC back into the game. She just wanted them to restore Mu Ning’s old data so she could be a simpler, happier NPC who didn’t have to suffer such a tragic fate anymore.
When the time came, no matter where this NPC version of Mu Ning was hidden in the game, she would work hard to find her! Even if Mu Ning no longer recognized her, she would log into the game every single day. As long as she could accompany her—even if she was met with coldness or annoyance—just a few short minutes would satisfy her.
But… with her level of greed, would she really be satisfied with just that? Maybe she could negotiate with the staff to restore Mu Ning’s memory data regarding her as well?
The offline promotional event was held in a neighboring province, with the studio reimbursing the round-trip flight. Ren Chenxi arrived at the venue right as the event was scheduled to begin. She had expected it to be popular, but she hadn’t anticipated it would be this crowded. Perhaps competitive first-person shooters were naturally appealing, and with full-dive technology allowing players to immerse themselves in combat against zombies and enemies, it was incredibly attractive to both fans and curious bystanders.
Looking at the packed venue where people stood shoulder to shoulder, Ren Chenxi almost wanted to turn back. But for the sake of Ren Muhui’s Special Prize and her hope of negotiating the restoration of Mu Ning’s NPC data, she steeled herself, adjusted her face mask, pulled down her cap, and squeezed into the suffocating crowd.
Fortunately, once inside, Ren Chenxi noticed that most attendees were gathered around the two rows of gaming pods at the back, with crowds watching the gameplay projected onto massive screens. Scanning her surroundings, she found a quiet corner to stand in, planning to wait out the clock until she could claim the prize and, most importantly, talk to the staff about restoring Mu Ning’s NPC data.
The host only took the stage once the crowd’s attention was fully captivated by the live gameplay projected on the screens. Consequently, the audience didn’t register a single word the host said. This was normal, of course; the attendees were here for the full-dive experience, so the gaming cabins and screens were far more enticing than the host on stage. It was only when the host invited the game developers up to speak about the game’s features and the advanced technology used that the audience offered a wave of polite, perfunctory applause.
This state of affairs continued until the lucky draw segment, which finally pulled the audience’s attention away from the screens and back to the host. Ren Chenxi also perked up at the host’s announcement of the draw.
The draw was split into two parts: first, an on-site raffle where the organizers drew fourth, third, and second prizes from the audience. Although these weren’t the grand prizes, even the fourth prize was a high-grade gaming helmet! The second part was presenting the first prize to players who had participated in the closed beta and received a winning email.
Given that the organizers were wealthy enough to hand out gaming helmets as fourth prizes, the first prize was even more extravagant—three deluxe gaming cabins. What baffled Ren Chenxi was that while all the prizes from first to fourth were clearly detailed, the Special Prize Ren Muhui had won remained shrouded in mystery, with the host only teasing it as a “mysterious grand prize.”
The mystery only heightened the audience’s curiosity. Even after the exciting draw concluded and every winner had received their prize, the crowd’s enthusiasm didn’t wane. Aside from a few die-hard gaming addicts who went back to trying out the demo, the rest of the crowd stayed to watch the winner of the Special Prize take the stage, eager to see what this mysterious reward was.
Ren Chenxi waited patiently until the host finally announced Ren Muhui’s name. At the host’s invitation, she walked up to the stage, holding her ID and Ren Muhui’s game ID.
Hearing a male name called only to see a tall, long-haired girl walk up to the stage naturally left the audience slightly bewildered. However, the host, who had been briefed on the situation beforehand, thoughtfully explained the circumstances to the crowd. Turning to Ren Chenxi, the host said with regret, “What a shame! Our Special Prize can only be redeemed by the person who comes to claim it~ Since Miss Ren’s brother is feeling unwell and couldn’t make it, this prize can only go to our Miss Ren…”
“Wait…” As Ren Chenxi listened, she felt something was off. What did the host mean by her claiming it because Ren Muhui was unwell? Wasn’t she supposed to take the physical prize back to him?
Seeing her confusion, the host explained with a smile, “Miss Ren, it’s like this. Our Special Prize isn’t a physical item, but a romantic candlelit dinner. The winner will dine at our city’s five-star Longfeng Hotel with our…”
Before the host could finish, Ren Chenxi interrupted impatiently, “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in a candlelit dinner. I came to claim the prize on my brother’s behalf, and he wants to exchange it for an equivalent value of cash or another prize. Is that possible?”
“I’m afraid not, Miss Ren. Our Special Prize cannot be exchanged~”
“But I saw a winner exchange their fourth-prize gaming helmet for cash just now…”
“That’s correct. All other prizes can be exchanged, but our most prestigious Special Prize cannot. Because the Special Prize is a candlelit dinner shared with our studio’s owner—and that’s priceless~”
“…”
The host’s last line about dining with their owner left Ren Chenxi speechless. The audience, who had been full of anticipation for the Special Prize, also erupted into boos. One person in the crowd even jeered loudly, “Dinner with your owner? Are you sure your boss isn’t just trying to take advantage of a beautiful girl?!”
Although Ren Chenxi was wearing a cap and mask, it was easy to tell from her height, posture, and striking eyes that “Miss Ren” was a stunner. When they heard the other party was their “boss,” most assumed he was some greasy, middle-aged man with a beer gut. A dinner between a middle-aged man and a young, beautiful girl—wasn’t that obviously taking advantage of her?
At the spectator’s words, the rest of the crowd joined in the shouting. Ren Chenxi, already frustrated that she couldn’t exchange the Special Prize, grew even colder upon hearing she was supposed to dine with the head of this crappy game studio.
She had traveled all this way only to leave empty-handed and be told she had to eat with a stranger. Although furious, her upbringing prevented her from making a scene on stage. Suppressing her disappointment and anger, she politely declined the Special Prize and turned to leave.
Just as she turned to walk off the stage, a familiar voice drifted from behind her—the very voice that had haunted her dreams day and night. “What? Miss Ren, are you really that unwilling to share a romantic candlelit dinner with me? After all, I have an even bigger surprise waiting for you after dinner~”
Accompanying that familiar voice, which almost brought Ren Chenxi to tears, was the steady clack, clack, clack of high heels drawing closer, finally stopping right behind her.
“Won’t Miss Ren turn around and look at me? Take a look before deciding whether to accept my invitation to dine with me.”
Even though it was the voice she had yearned for for so long, now that it was right behind her, Ren Chenxi felt a sudden surge of cowardice. She was afraid to turn around. She feared that this was just another of her countless beautiful dreams, and that when she turned, she would only wake up to a crushing, suffocating pain.
As if sensing her fear, the woman behind her let out a soft chuckle. She reached out and took Ren Chenxi’s hand, stepping around to face her. Looking directly into her eyes, she asked once more, “Beautiful lady, do you really have the heart to reject my invitation?”
Having her hand suddenly grabbed as a face drew close made Ren Chenxi instinctively take a few steps back. But this slight distance allowed her to see the woman standing before her with absolute clarity.
That face… that gentle, smiling face that had accompanied her for nearly ten years in the apocalypse and haunted her dreams countless times since she returned to reality was now standing right in front of her.
“Mu… Mu Ning?”
The moment she recognized Mu Ning, Ren Chenxi reached out by sheer instinct, just as she had in her dreams. Only this time, her fingers didn’t pass through thin air. Instead, she felt the unmistakable, warm touch of smooth skin.
“Mu Ning?！” The warmth at her fingertips made Ren Chenxi’s eyes widen in shock. Still unable to believe it, she pinched the cheek beneath her fingers.
“Hey, hey! Usually, you’re supposed to pinch yourself to see if you’re dreaming.” Her cheek lightly pinched by Ren Chenxi, the woman with Mu Ning’s voice and face offered the same helpless, indulgent smile she always did, reaching up to gently pinch Ren Chenxi’s cheek in return.
Ren Chenxi was still in a daze as her face was gently pinched. Perhaps because the touch was so light and tender, she still couldn’t tell if this was a dream. The simplest way to test it… she withdrew her hand from the woman’s face and pinched her other cheek hard.
“Ouch…”
It hurt. It wasn’t a dream? Before Ren Chenxi could fully process the sting, a hand hurriedly pulled hers away. Then, a soft touch gently caressed the smarting spot on her cheek.
“Why are you so silly? I’m standing right here in front of you, and you still think you’re dreaming?”
Hearing the familiar, pained scolding and feeling the soft touch on her face, Ren Chenxi blinked slowly. She stared blankly at Mu Ning’s gentle expression, her nose suddenly prickling.
“Yes, because I’ve had this dream too many times. So many times that I still can’t tell if it’s just an incredibly realistic dream, or if you…”
“I’m real too~” Mu Ning pressed Ren Chenxi’s hand against her cheek, leaning in to whisper softly against her ear, “Just like you, I’m a real human. I’m not some game NPC~”
“Wh… what?” Those casual, quiet words snapped Ren Chenxi completely out of her daze. She stared intently at Mu Ning for a long moment before asking in a hushed, intense voice, “How is this possible?!”
If Mu Ning was a real human in the real world, how did she become an NPC in the game? Why didn’t she tell her who she was when they were in the game? And since she was in the same real world, where had she been after Ren Chenxi left? Did Mu Ning return to reality after the game rolled back? If so, what had she been doing while Ren Chenxi was drowning in grief and pain?
Sensing the countless questions swirling in Ren Chenxi’s tear-filled eyes, Mu Ning shook her head slightly. She winked, turning her hand palm-up, and smiled. “So, I solemnly invite Miss Ren once again. Would you care to join me for dinner tonight? I can answer all your questions then~”
“Yes!”
Without a single shred of hesitation, Ren Chenxi placed her hand into Mu Ning’s palm.
The onlookers2 in the crowd stared after them, only looking at one another in bewilderment once Ren Chenxi and Mu Ning had left hand-in-hand.
“What just happened?”
“Did two gorgeous girls just get all lovey-dovey on stage like there was nobody else around?”
“They just walked off hand-in-hand like they successfully matched on a dating show?”
“So that incredibly gorgeous girl who came out is the owner of this crappy game studio?!”
“Holy shit! Why didn’t I have the luck to win the Special Prize? Then I could’ve had a romantic candlelit dinner with a beauty too!”
“Dream on! It’s obvious the girl who won and the beautiful owner already knew each other! That Special Prize was probably rigged by the boss for her!”
And in fact, just as that spectator had guessed, Ren Muhui’s Special Prize had indeed been rigged.
It was nearly six in the evening when they left the venue. On the way to the hotel, Mu Ning admitted that the Special Prize was indeed set up for Ren Muhui—or more accurately, it was custom-made for Ren Chenxi.
Just as Ren Chenxi had suspected, because she had used Ren Muhui’s game account, the system backend only recorded his game ID. Due to player privacy regulations, they could only track down the email address linked to the ID. As for the identity and address of the person behind the email, it was impossible to sift through the thousands of people named Ren Muhui across the country. Besides, in this day and age, privacy laws prevented them from digging up citizens’ personal information at will.
Mu Ning had been very dissatisfied with these limitations, but no matter how frustrated she was, she couldn’t break the law. Besides, she didn’t need to. Through Ren Muhui, she could still find Ren Chenxi. So, Mu Ning had her staff email Ren Muhui’s address, inviting him to claim his prize at the offline event. Of course, if Ren Muhui had shown up in person, his prize would have only been a high-end gaming cabin and some in-game currency. But to claim or exchange those rewards, he would have had to bring Ren Chenxi along.
To Mu Ning’s delight, before the event, the staff informed her that according to the email reply, Ren Muhui couldn’t make it to claim the Special Prize in person and was sending his fraternal twin sister instead. This was exactly what Mu Ning had hoped for, so she immediately changed the Special Prize to a candlelit dinner.
Hearing Mu Ning’s explanation, Ren Chenxi smirked, throwing her a sideways glance as if reluctantly accepting the explanation. “Hmph. Even if you actually gave this Special Prize to Ren Muhui, he wouldn’t have the guts to have a candlelit dinner with you anyway. You traumatized him so badly over those ten years in the game. That’s why he didn’t even dare show up today and begged me to claim it for him~”
“In that case, I should thank my past self for always giving him the cold shoulder in the game~” Mu Ning watched Ren Chenxi’s “reluctantly accepting your excuse” expression with amusement, then sighed softly. “It’s wonderful. Whether in the game or in reality, after all those twists and turns, it was still you who came to my side in the end.”
This soft sigh shattered the dam holding back the emotions Ren Chenxi had desperately tried to suppress since she was at the venue. Her eyes reddening, she stared intensely at Mu Ning. It took a long moment before she choked out, “Mu Ning, I missed you so much…”
She had missed her so terribly that she had spent her days in a complete daze, feeling like a stranger to herself. Many times, Ren Chenxi couldn’t help but wonder if her current self was just a soulless, hollow shell, while her true soul remained trapped in that game world with Mu Ning.
Only now, seeing Mu Ning standing right before her as a living, breathing person and confirming repeatedly that she wasn’t dreaming, did she feel alive again. Mu Ning had escaped the game world, and her own soul had returned along with her.
Mu Ning looked at Ren Chenxi’s red-rimmed eyes, the tear slipping down her cheek, and her tightly pressed lips. She could no longer suppress the impulse that had been building inside her since she first laid eyes on her.
“Xixi, I missed you too…”
The tear that had trickled down to her chin was gently licked away. Before Ren Chenxi could even recover from her emotions, her breath was already tangled with Mu Ning’s.
The professional chauffeur drove on with a straight face. Just as they were about to reach their destination, Mu Ning’s voice came from the backseat: “Old Liu, change of plans. Don’t go to the hotel. Turn around and head straight to my place.”
“…”
He had just endured a grueling traffic jam, and the destination was right in front of them, only for him to have to turn back and brave the gridlock all over again! But the professional chauffeur, Old Liu, merely exhaled a quiet sigh and answered in a completely serious tone, “Understood.”
The driver didn’t dare question his boss’s orders, but Ren Chenxi was a different story. Her eyes were no longer as red as before, though her lips were several shades darker, smeared with a lipstick color that wasn’t hers. Pouting her dark-stained lips, she feigned annoyance and grumbled, “Why are we going to your place instead? What about my exclusive candlelit dinner Special Prize?”
“Who said we can’t have a candlelit dinner at my place?” Mu Ning pinched Ren Chenxi’s cheek with amusement, explaining earnestly, “The hotel has too many eyes. Even in a private room, it’s still an unfamiliar environment where we might feel a bit constrained and unable to fully relax~ After all, I have so many questions to answer for you in detail, don’t I? Besides, my home can have a romantic candlelit dinner too~ The hotel’s delivery service is excellent~”
“Pfft. Your place is unfamiliar to me too!” Even though she felt Mu Ning made sense, Ren Chenxi still offered a stubborn, tsundere retort. And why did Mu Ning’s comment about feeling constrained sound like it had some other meaning behind it?
“It’s fine. You’ll get familiar with it soon enough anyway~” Mu Ning gave her a loaded smile and planted a light kiss on the lipstick she had transferred to Ren Chenxi’s lips. She then did her best to control herself and stopped getting handsy with her. After all, once they got home, she would have plenty of opportunities to get handsy with her.
During the long drive back to Mu Ning’s duplex apartment, Ren Chenxi did her best to steady her emotions. With the driver in the car, she didn’t dare get too affectionate with Mu Ning, lest she lose control of herself and put on a show for a stranger. Fortunately, Mu Ning behaved herself for the rest of the ride, simply holding Ren Chenxi’s hand as they drifted onto the topic of her real-world identity.
From Mu Ning’s story, Ren Chenxi learned that she was actually a wealthy second-generation heiress whose first venture had been investing in the studio that made the full-dive dating game, effectively making her their boss. As for how this boss ended up trapped inside the game as an NPC, it was a bit too complicated to explain in the car, so Mu Ning skipped it for now and talked about her family. Ren Chenxi followed suit, introducing her own family members aside from Ren Muhui.
By the time they had practically introduced eighteen generations of their ancestors, the driver finally broke free of the annoying gridlock and headed straight toward Mu Ning’s duplex apartment. When Ren Chenxi expressed surprise that Mu Ning lived in a standard residential apartment rather than a grand villa, Mu Ning explained with amusement that since she didn’t live with her parents, there was no point in a single person living in a massive mansion.
This response sent a flush of heat to Ren Chenxi’s face. Great. Was she implying that tonight’s candlelit dinner would be strictly for two? That meant they could have a very thorough, all-night “chat”?
Of course, before any talking could happen, they had to prepare the Special Prize dinner Mu Ning had arranged. While waiting for the food to be delivered, Mu Ning took the chance to explain how she had ended up as an NPC in the game world. To put it simply, she and Ren Chenxi were actually quite similar: while Ren Chenxi had been trapped as a player, Mu Ning had been trapped as an NPC.
As for why she had become an NPC and the target heroine of the game… it was mostly down to the studio trying to flatter their boss. Early on, when the studio was struggling with funds, Mu Ning had appeared as a savior, injecting a massive sum of cash to resolve their financial crisis. Out of gratitude, the entire studio wanted to find a way to thank and flatter her. They hesitantly asked if she would be interested in having her likeness used for an NPC, which would also let her personally experience what it was like to exist in a virtual world.
Finding the proposal intriguing, Mu Ning had agreed. Who could have guessed that the developers, overwhelmed with gratitude, would upgrade her from a minor NPC straight to the main female lead! Even more unexpected was that she had simply laid down in her gaming pod to casually experience being an NPC, only to end up trapped inside for nearly three days! Fortunately, the gaming pod had nutrient solutions to sustain her, otherwise she had no idea what state she would have been in upon waking up.
Nearly three days in the real world had translated to over ten years inside the game.
At first, when she became an NPC, she still held onto her real memories and was extremely repulsed by anyone who tried to court her. But as time went on, her real-world memories gradually faded, replaced by the fabricated memories of the NPC, and she began to truly blend into the role.
When she only had a tiny shred of her real self left, she had realized her memories were being gradually replaced. She was terrified and anxious, but utterly powerless. Back then, Mu Ning assumed that once that final piece of her identity dissolved, she would become an NPC forever, permanently trapped in that virtual universe.
Fortunately, she had ultimately broken free of the virtual game world. Mu Ning herself didn’t know exactly what happened. One second she had been drowning in the agony of Ren Chenxi’s sudden disappearance, and the next, she woke up in the gaming pod in her bedroom. Looking at her familiar decor, her original memories flooded back in an instant, while her experiences in the game remained vividly preserved—especially every single memory of Ren Chenxi.
“The absolute first thing I did when I woke up was contact the game studio I invested in…”
“To blame them for the game glitching, changing from a dating sim to a survival game, and trapping you for ten years?” In Ren Chenxi’s mind, Mu Ning should have been furious upon waking. After all, when she herself had been trapped inside with no way out, she had thoroughly cursed everyone involved in making this game.
“No. I only asked them if all the players in that virtual world were real, living humans from our reality.”
“Eh? I thought…”
“What did you think, Xixi? Did you… hold yourself in such low regard in my heart?” Mu Ning watched Ren Chenxi’s widened eyes with amusement, then lightly pinched her cheek again. This little heartless thing. Did she really think the first thing she’d do was file a complaint against the studio?
“No, that’s not it…” Ren Chenxi shook her head sheepishly, slapping away Mu Ning’s stray hand which was still fondling her face. “So you were thinking of me, and that’s why you asked the studio about the players first? But aren’t you worried about the massive, bizarre glitch they caused? After all, it’s a game you invested in! If the servers go back up and more players end up trapped, you’ll lose a fortune!”
Upon learning Mu Ning was the investor behind the game, Ren Chenxi was actually more worried about the financial losses than Mu Ning was.
Prompted by Ren Chenxi’s words, Mu Ning finally remembered that as an idle heiress, she actually relied on this game to make money! But since she returned to reality, her mind had been completely occupied with finding Ren Chenxi and bringing her back. As for the game glitch…
“Honestly, I’m actually quite grateful for that game glitch~ Without that bizarre bug, I don’t think I would have ever met you, Xixi.”
“…” To actually thank the glitch instead of blaming the studio for it? Ren Chenxi found it hard to wrap her head around at first, but when she put herself in Mu Ning’s shoes, she suddenly felt grateful too. If not for the glitch, they wouldn’t have fallen in love. “But aren’t you angry that the game inexplicably updated to an apocalypse survival theme?” Back then, she had been both furious and disgusted. Why did a perfectly normal dating game have to turn into a monster-infested apocalyptic wasteland? She had been terrified of dying in that world and never coming back!
Sensing her distaste for the apocalypse, Mu Ning explained helplessly, “True. The sudden update was dangerous, bloody, and disgusting. But… wasn’t it precisely because the game updated to a survival mode that you came back to me?” Without that doomsday event, she would probably have kept running away from how much Ren Chenxi meant to her. And it was that very update that, by a stroke of luck, delivered the departed Ren Chenxi right back to her side.
“…” No matter how much she disliked the apocalypse, Ren Chenxi couldn’t deny Mu Ning’s logic. Besides, she had already returned to the real world, and it was indeed because of the update that she re-entered the game… right? But how exactly did she go back? She hadn’t even been wearing a gaming helmet at the time! Reaching this realization, Ren Chenxi immediately posed the question, pointing out that if such a bug existed, other players might also be affected without their equipment.
Mu Ning also found it baffling. Logically, players could only enter full-dive virtual games by donning a helmet or lying in a gaming cabin. How had Ren Chenxi entered without a helmet? Realizing the gravity of the issue, Mu Ning immediately made another call to the project manager.
The manager’s explanation for the sudden update was that a data error had caused the dating game to merge with another unreleased apocalyptic survival game, resulting in the complete genre shift. But because this apocalyptic version proved incredibly popular with players, after closing the servers for the rollback, the studio decided to simply rebuild the game into the competitive first-person shooter it was now.
As for the bug where players were trapped inside, the studio hadn’t received any other complaints. The only ones trapped had been Mu Ning, who was an NPC, and Ren Muhui. As for Ren Chenxi logging in without a helmet, the backend had absolutely no record of her connecting.
This answer left both of them stunned for a long time. Finally, Mu Ning looked at Ren Chenxi helplessly and wondered, “Could it be that because the studio wanted to please me as their investor, I actually had some sort of privilege in the game, and my obsession managed to pull you back in?”
“No… I think it was my own obsession that I couldn’t let go of, so… I returned to the game in a dream to reunite with you?” Although she had repeatedly claimed she was completely over Mu Ning when she returned to the game, she knew it was just self-deception. Even after escaping to reality, she had dreamed of Mu Ning countless times. Come to think of it, on the night she went back, she had felt an earthquake and stood up in a panic. She had definitely left her bed. Yet when she woke up in reality this time, she was lying perfectly tucked in.
Was her return to the updated survival game actually just a dream? But if so, how could she explain their shared memories from inside the game?
Ren Chenxi looked back at Mu Ning in confusion. Mu Ning reached out to caress her cheek, saying softly, “If it really was a dream, then it’s a dream we shared~”
“And Ren Muhui…” Faced with Mu Ning’s tender gaze, Ren Chenxi point-blank brought up the third wheel of this shared dream, completely killing the mood.
“Whatever! I always treated him as an extra anyway!”
Ren Chenxi smiled apologetically at Mu Ning’s obvious annoyance and wisely changed the subject. “But you mentioned having investor privileges. What kind of privileged NPC gets such a tragic family background? What was up with those horrible family members the game forced on you? Don’t tell me your real family…” Ren Chenxi scanned the quiet, spacious living room, looking at Mu Ning with concern, the rest of her question dying in her throat.
Reading the unvoiced question in her eyes, Mu Ning laughed and shook her head. “Silly! My real family is perfectly harmonious. Otherwise, how could an idle heiress like me throw money at games for fun? The NPC’s background was just a game setting~”
“If that’s the case, then that’s wonderful~” Knowing Mu Ning hadn’t actually suffered that kind of heartbreak from her own family in real life, Ren Chenxi let out a breath of relief. “I was so worried. I feared that after enduring such pain in the game, you’d have to face cold family relations in reality too… I’m so glad your real life is happy…”
“Mm… though you got one thing wrong…”
“Eh? What? Where? Did some other relative break your heart?” Hearing this, Ren Chenxi immediately assumed Mu Ning had suffered some grievance and grew tense.
“It’s not about other relatives~” Mu Ning took Ren Chenxi’s hand with a smile and gestured to her empty apartment. “I live alone, and it gets really cold and lonely. My greatest happiness is to live with the person I love, and… grow old together~ Xixi, can you fulfill this little wish for me?”
Faced with such a direct proposal to move in together, Ren Chenxi was stunned at first, but she quickly smiled and nodded under Mu Ning’s burning gaze. What did she have to hesitate about? Ever since she returned to reality, even though she was physically away from Mu Ning, her mind had been entirely consumed by her. No matter what she did, she would constantly lose focus and think of her. Several times, she had even hallucinated seeing Mu Ning’s figure. But when she reached out to find nothing, she would only plunge back into that agonizing emptiness.
Now, the very real Mu Ning was sitting right beside her. She could touch her, hug her, and kiss her for real. They could truly be together, and she could wake up every day to a real Mu Ning instead of a virtual NPC. Why on earth would she refuse?
The moment Ren Chenxi nodded, Mu Ning could no longer hold back her excitement and pulled her into a tight, fierce embrace. Just like Ren Chenxi, ever since Mu Ning returned to reality, she had spent every single day longing for her. But unlike Ren Chenxi, Mu Ning knew she was real, and she knew without a doubt that they would find each other again!
Now that the lover she had yearned for during these nearly half a month was finally in her arms, Mu Ning felt a profound sense of happiness. But she also felt… she needed to do something more~
“Xixi, before this… We were always in that virtual game world, right?”
“Huh? Yeah?” Ren Chenxi, who was wrapped up in the same happiness, found the sudden change of topic a bit bewildering.
“Everything in the game world was virtual, right?”
“Uh, yeah…” So they were really going to talk about the game in such a perfect atmosphere? Surely they weren’t going to talk about the game throughout the entire candlelit dinner?
“Then… Our experiences doing that in the game must have been virtual too, right?”
“…Uh, What are you trying to say?”
“I think virtual experiences definitely can’t match up to real ones~ For example, when I kissed you just now, it felt much sweeter than it ever did in the game. So…~”
“…Mu Ning, can you be serious for once!” They were finally having a romantic, blissful moment, and here she was being inappropriate again! Couldn’t she keep her mind off these shameless thoughts for five minutes?
“Come on, Xixi~ You haven’t experienced my skills in the real world yet. It’ll definitely be much better than the game, and the experience will be way more amazing~”
“Wait, stop! Hey! Mu Ning, what are you grabbing!”
“Mu Ning! Don’t go too far! If you keep touching…”
“Bastard! You’re only doing this because you know I can’t beat you right now! Don’t… Don’t mess around…”
Mu Ning kept getting handsy for a while. Hearing Ren Chenxi’s annoyed complaint, she laughed. “You could beat me in the game, but didn’t you always let me win anyway~”
“Well, I let you win in the game, so shouldn’t you do the same for me now!” Ren Chenxi, pinned beneath Mu Ning and unable to break free no matter how she squirmed, tried to claim the upper hand with stubborn indignation.
“Yes, yes~ You let me win first, and I’ll let you win later, deal?” Mu Ning agreed half-heartedly, her hands never stopping. In just a few strokes, she had Ren Chenxi too weak to even put up a fight.
But just as Mu Ning was about to savor the delicious Ren Chenxi, the doorbell rang at the most inconvenient moment.
The hotel delivery service had arrived~~~
Impeccable timing indeed~
The author has something to say:
Ren Muhui: ??? Where is my Special Prize? Where is my meimei?
My Little Cuties, I am so sorry! The promised extra actually ended up delayed for a month!!!
Originally, I only planned to rest for a few days before making up the extra. But during those days of rest, I let myself go way too much because I didn’t have to write updates. I stayed up late every night watching video clips and stream replays, which caused my eyes to flare up again! (Yes, the issue where my right eyelid wouldn’t open).
My mom didn’t know I was staying up late in secret. After she took me to the doctor and learned it wasn’t anything too serious, she banned me from using the computer.
Later, I secretly typed on my tablet, just a little bit every day. I didn’t dare let my mom find out I was using it so often, otherwise she would have confiscated both my phone and my tablet. I didn’t even dare to turn on the computer. So… this extra was dragged out until now~
I am truly sorry~~~
Okay, actually, I finished writing the extra two days ago. The reason I’m posting it today is…
Because tonight at 8:00 PM is my husband and wife’s wedding! Usually, I post at 8:00 PM, but I released this early because I have to head over to the wedding venue early to help set up the decorations~~~
Interested Little Cuties can check out Nai Lin Queen’s stream to watch the broadcast~
Also, July 17th is my husband’s birthday~ The birthday stream of the A-Soul3 leader is packed with events, won’t everyone come watch?
P.S. I was too excited and forgot to mention—I’ll randomly select 30 Little Cuties who leave comments on this chapter to send out wedding candies4~~~
Footnotes
- A Chinese metaphor referring to a powerful, influential person one can rely on for protection and resources.
- A Chinese internet slang term referring to bystanders who watch drama unfold without participating.
- An abbreviation for A-Soul, a popular Chinese virtual idol group active in the early 2020s.
- Traditional Chinese wedding candies distributed by newlyweds to share their joy and good fortune with friends and family.
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